The Blind Ninja of Hope
by Nozomi Higarashi
Summary: A ninja blinded in an attack on her village where she is one of two survivors goes on a journey to regain her sight and save her brother.
1. Prelude

Prelude

"We're under attack! We're under attack! Raise the alarm!"

DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!

Ninjas ran to protect the village. Women and children ran for cover. It was complete pandemonium. Just what snake-like Orochimaru wanted in his prey.

"Yesssss… This village will be perfect for beginning my conquest of Kohona…" hissed Orochimaru. He turned to his first-in-command. "Bring me the Higarashi boy _alive_ and unscathed, or else it will be your demise."

The ninja nodded and disappeared into the chaos. He came back holding a five-year-old boy a few minutes later.

"Good. Now burn the village and make sure no living creature escapes," Orochimaru ordered.

The village burned all night. Orochimaru killed everything in it, except one three-year-old girl who managed to escape…


	2. Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter One - Introduction

"Reika? Reika, where are you? Reika?" cried a 14-year-old girl with long with hair tied with a blue ribbon.

A low growl came from some bushes. The girl headed over there and tripped on the end of her blue and white kimono.

"Ouch!" she shouted. "Reika, let me see through your eyes!"

A massive white tiger with blue stripes and two tails came out of bushes. It nudged the girl's hand and the girl concentrated. When she opened her eyes, she no longer had gray cataracts, but completely amber eyes with no pupils. The girl looked at her scraped knee and sighed, and then she bandaged it up.

"Thank you, Reika," she said. Reika nodded.

"You are welcome, Nozomi-sama," she replied in a low, almost inaudible purr.

Nozomi looked around. "Where are we?"

"Near Kohona. I am bringing you here in hopes that Tsunade-sama, the Hokage of Kohona can cure you of your blindness. In addition, I recently found out through communicating with the animals we have passed that the is a jinchuuriki there that contains the kyuubi. I was hoping you could purify him as you did me. Also, Kohona was recently attacked by our mortal enemy, the serpent-like Orochimaru, and I hope we could lend them some assistance," Reika replied in one of her usual long-winded explanations.

"All right, then could you assume a less frightening form? Most people see animal spirits as evil demons, and I do not wish to alarm anyone right off the bat."

"As you wish, Nozomi-sama. Should I assume tiger form, or perhaps kitten form would be less frightening?"

"Tiger form is fine. You would still have to protect me, and I do not want you transforming because that would alarm people."

"Very well." Thick white smoke enveloped Reika, and when she reappeared, she was a normal white tiger. Nozomi placed her hand on Reika and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the cataracts had returned.

"Now onto Kohona!" Nozomi shouted, taking a step and promptly falling flat on her face.

Nozomi stood in front of the gates of Kohona, holding Reika's harness. Reika hesitated to go in because there were guards that did not look too pleasant. They were not acting too pleasant either.

"What is your business in Kohona?" the first guard demanded.

"Please, I am blind, and I am hoping that Tsunade-sama, the Hokage of Kohona, may be able to cure me," Nozomi pleaded.

"I am sorry, but we cannot let you pass with that dangerous tiger," the second guard informed her.

"But… but she is my eyes! I cannot see, and she leads me. Without her, I have no idea where I am!"

"I am sorry."

"Would you let a blind girl fend her way in busy streets by herself with no protection?"

"Well…"

"Please, let me see the Hokage. Please. Bring your strongest Anbu members if it gives you any consolation that I will not do anything."

"Well… All right. I will call Hatake Kakashi to escort you. You wait here," the first guard said. The second guard looked at him as he disappeared.

Nozomi started to feel around for a chair. Not finding one, she sat down on the ground. Reika lay down next to Nozomi and put her head on Nozomi's lap. They waited for about five minutes before the first guard came back with Hatake Kakashi.

"Hello. I heard you wanted to see Hokage-sama," Kakashi said slowly. Nozomi looked in the direction of his voice.

"Yes. Are you Hatake Kakashi?" Nozomi asked.

"Uh… yeah. So, you're blind, I see," Kakashi observed.

"Yes. But I was not always this way. Orochimaru destroyed my village eleven years ago when I was three years of age. I remember everything from the time I was two years old, so I can picture what something looks like if someone describes it to me. I also remember my brother, who was kidnapped by Orochimaru for reasons unknown to me," Nozomi said.

"You said your brother was kidnapped by Orochimaru?" Kakashi inquired. Nozomi nodded.

"Yes, but he is probably dead by now. Now, if you could take me to Tsunade-sama to see if she can restore my eyesight, that would be great."

"Right. Take my hand," Kakashi instructed. Nozomi felt around in vain for his hand. Kakashi sighed and grabbed her hand.

Once they got to Tsunade's room, Kakashi knocked on the door.

"Come in!" shouted a female voice. Kakashi opened the door, showing Sakura training to become a medical ninja from Tsunade. Tsunade looked at Nozomi.

"She looks so much like Kabuto. Did you bring me another spy?" Tsunade asked.

"No," Kakashi replied. "This girl is-"

"I am Higarashi Nozomi. I am very pleased to meet you," Nozomi said, extending her hand to the left of Tsunade. Kakashi turned her to Tsunade, and Tsunade shook her hand.

"I can tell you are blind. So, why did you come here?" Tsunade asked.

"I was hoping that you could cure me of my blindness," Nozomi replied. Tsunade sighed.

"I am sorry, but no jutsu can cure blindness," she told Nozomi. Nozomi looked crestfallen. "However, I can teach you some jutsu that may help you to see without sight."

"Really?" Nozomi said hopefully. Tsunade nodded. Nozomi looked expectant.

"Oh, right, you can't see. I nodded," Tsunade told her.

"Oh, okay," Nozomi said.

"Should I get some tea?" Sakura wondered.

"Yes, that would be a great idea," Tsunade said.

Sakura left the room. Kakashi, seeing that Nozomi was not a threat, left in a blast of white smoke.

Tsunade led Nozomi to a chair and sat her down. Nozomi felt around to get a sense of her surroundings. After she felt comfortable, she remembered something Tsunade had mentioned.

"Tsunade-sama, you said that there was a man named Kabuto that I looked similar to. Tell me, what does he look like?" Nozomi asked.

"Well, he has long white hair like you; glasses; black eyes; pale skin…"

Nozomi tried to picture this "Kabuto" in her head, but the more she tried to picture him, the more she saw her kidnapped brother.

"Tell me… Was Kabuto adopted?" Nozomi asked after Tsunade was done describing him.

"Well, yes. How did you know?" Tsunade asked. Sakura came in just then with the tea, but Nozomi did not notice.

"Because Kabuto is not named Kabuto. He is Higarashi Hiroshi. He is my older brother, and I have been searching everywhere for him," Nozomi said as Sakura set down the tea. Nozomi felt around, burned her finger in the hot tea, and picked up her cup. "Please… could you take me to Hiroshi?"

"I am sorry, but he was a spy for Orochimaru. Kabuto - I mean Hiroshi - works for him, and cannot be trusted. He helped Orochimaru kill the Third Hokage," Tsunade informed Nozomi. Nozomi dropped her cup and it shattered.

"No! That cannot be! Hiroshi would never do that! Not is a million years!" she shouted, tears running down her face. "You're lying! Hiroshi is not a cold-blooded murderer! He's a kind, caring, loving older brother! He looked out for me before our village was destroyed by Orochimaru! You're a lair! Hiroshi would never-! He couldn't-! He-"

Nozomi broke down in tears. "I always thought he was strong enough to resist anything. Now you're telling me he has been brainwashed by Orochimaru?"

"Yes," Tsunade said. Nozomi sobbed harder. "I am sorry. Maybe there is some way we can bring the old Hiroshi back, and destroy the evil Kabuto."

Nozomi hiccupped and wiped her tears. "Crying doesn't solve anything. I never went through ninja training because my village was destroyed, but I _have_ developed a few jutsus on my own. They are very powerful, and they could help Kabuto. I have developed a jutsu that can purify even a demon spirit. I call it Shinsei Kokoro no Jutsu."

"Impressive," Tsunade said. "No one has been able to purify a demon before. Are you sure you can do it?"

"Already have. Reika, show 'em!" Nozomi exclaimed. Reika nodded and a puff of white smoke enveloped her. She reappeared in her demon form. Sakura screamed and Tsunade looked white as a ghost. Nozomi, upon hearing Sakura's scream, chuckled.

"Reika won't hurt a fly unless it was evil now. She can't wait to tear Orochimaru to shreds, but she is as gentle as a newborn kitten around people who are pure of heart.

Reika enveloped herself in white smoke again, and this time she reappeared as a white tiger cub. She said in a little girl's voice that had a slight rumble, "Thanks to Nozomi, my anger towards humans has been destroyed. Animal spirits are not truly evil, but actually are spirits created from the anguish of animals that have lost their lives or children due to the negligence of humans destroying their homes. That is why we attack human villages. They destroyed our homes, so we destroy theirs. Eye for an eye. Nozomi helped me become a bringer of hope and peace by quashing my anger and helping me to see that not all humans are evil. So now, I just go after the evil humans and let the good humans live in piece."

Nozomi reached down and stroked Reika, rubbing her behind the ear. Reika purred and scratched the air with her hind leg. "A little lower… lower… That's it! Oh, that's the spot! That spot's been itching me for hours! Oh, that feels good!"

Sakura and Tsunade smiled. They now saw how completely harmless Reika was.

"Well, when should we begin your 'seeing without sight' training, Nozomi?" Tsunade asked.

_To be continued in Chapter 2 - Seeing without Sight!_


	3. Chapter 2 Seeing without Sight!

Chapter Two - Seeing without Sight

"Now, Nozomi, remember to use your ears to hear the movements and dodge them. Do not continue to allow yourself to be clumsy and klutzy," Tsunade said.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Nozomi replied. Tsunade nodded to Sakura, and the two got into position. Nozomi relaxed her mind and focused on the sounds. All of a sudden, she could hear things she had never heard before. She heard mice scritching and scratching in the walls, Reika breathing slowly and deeply in her sleep, and Sakura and Tsunade quietly moving into attack position.

Sakura threw a punch from the right. Nozomi heard the whoosh of air from Sakura's moving fist, and dodged backwards. Tsunade, who was behind Nozomi, kicked at Nozomi's back. Nozomi flipped over Tsunade and landed cat-like behind her. She listened for Tsunade's breathing to find her position and kicked her legs out from under her. Then Nozomi placed her foot on Tsunade's back, listening for Sakura's breathing. Sakura came straight at Nozomi. When Sakura got in range, Nozomi grabbed her arm and flipped her onto her back. She took her foot off Tsunade, who got up slowly, dazed.

"Whoa. Where did that come from? Ouch! My back…" Sakura complained, getting up and rubbing her backside.

"I don't know. It just sort of clicked all of a sudden," Nozomi replied sheepishly.

"We have only been training a week! You are a quick study!" Tsunade exclaimed. Nozomi smiled.

"Domo arigatougozaimasu," she thanked. She turned to Reika. "Come on, Reika, wake up. We have to go."

Reika opened one eye and stared at Nozomi. "Go? But we just got here a week ago! You are done you're training already? I thought Tsunade-sama said it would be at least two months before you are ready. And what about the other thing we came here to do? The purification of a certain creature's spirit? Are we just going to let that go? Or are we going to come back later? Why are we going now? Shouldn't we try to get some allies before we go? It's dangerous out there alone! Where are we going?"

"Whoa, whoa, Reika, calm down. We will come back to do the purification later. I do not sense the creature around here right now, so there is no point in staying. And, yes I am done my training. Tsunade says I am a quick study. We are going now because we have to become stronger before we can take on Orochimaru and get back Hiroshi. We will get allies, but ones that are more powerful than humans are. We are going to make animal spirits our allies. And we are going to wander around, training in the wild, until we become strong enough to destroy Orochimaru and take back our lives."

Reika sighed and got up, stretching. Nozomi turned to Tsunade and Sakura.

"Domo arigatougozaimasu," Nozomi said, bowing. "I must be going now."

"Before you go, I have a gift," Tsunade said. She went over to her dresser and pulled out a necklace made of white and blue coral with a large white pearl in the middle. She slipped the necklace over Nozomi's head. "It's a good luck charm. It matches your kimono."

"Domo arigatougozaimasu," Nozomi thanked again. She headed for the wall opposite the door.

"Um, Nozomi? The door is this way," Reika called from in front of the door.

"Oh, right."

"Why don't you put my harness on me, that way I do not have to worry about you constantly?"

"Good idea."

_To be continued in: Chapter Three - Konosuna!_


End file.
